Importance Of Turning Points In History

Moments, events, and cases that mark a pivotal change in the course of history are considered “turning points”. With each turning point, a clear effect can be seen and studied. These consequences may be considered turning points for a variety of reasons, whether it be change in domestic or foreign policy, society, or the economy, however, the main criteria are that the event sparks change. When studying turning points, the personal views and opinions of historians often play a role in what they personally consider a true turning point, though others may disagree with them. Some may say this adds to the events, by giving them modern context and significance. *Agreeing with such sentiments, my personal turning points are ranked in their significance

As the war demanded soldiers, women were encouraged to take up the industrial jobs left behind and take part in wartime production. Though still not possessing total independence, the taste of freedom many women in the workforce experienced would call to them even as the war came to a close and “normalcy” prevailed. The 1950s was an era that seemed perfect in its uniformity and affluence. The return of male soldiers to the workforce and the idea of the “nuclear family” pushed most women back into domestic positions. Though some were content to return, a large number of women were unhappy with this sharp, stifling contrast. However, expected to be content with the seeming prosperity of the time, their voices were silenced until the publication of the Feminine Mystique. What made the book a true turning point was that it would spark the Women’s Rights Movement of the 60s and 70s. Seeing the success of the Civil Rights Movement, Friedan’s bold denouncement of the Cult and --- inspired women to fight for extended rights and full equality, more than simply the voting rights they gained in the 1920s. This second wave of feminism sought equal pay, equal rights, education, and more. Unlike the Women’s reform movements of the 1830s, the new feminism worked more intersectionally against racial and economic barriers. The movement sparked by the publication of the Feminine Mystique saw success in the passage of Title IX in education and

Though created during Andrew Jackson’s presidency, the Act did not go into effect until 1838 during Van Buren’s. It was not the first time Native Americans had been subordinated by far. Mistreatment of natives in American history dated back to the earliest forms of contact, and is evident in countless accounts of death by disease and Anglo-Indian conflict. What made the Indian Removal Act and the subsequent “Trail of Tears” a turning point was its impact and precedent on future policies regarding Indians. Prior to the Act, native Americans were largely left alone on their ancestral lands, living communally in peace unless they came into contact with Europeans and/or Americans. This changed in the early 19th century, as Americans sought to expand Westward and followed the idea of Manifest Destiny to take desired land in whatever manners they deemed necesarry as a “God-given right”. Native Americans stood directly in the way of this goal, occupying Western lands. Viewed as obstacles, conflicts rose in number and the solution to many of these land-greedy Americans was to remove the Indians. The Ac, once put into effect, forced the relocation of many unwilling native groups to federal lands west of the Mississippi, giving up their homes in the process. Large numbers of these Indians died on their journey, deemed the “Trail of Tears” for that very reason. In the long-term, the Act served as justification for